Press Releases

Apr252013

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX-32), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, today released the following statement regarding H.R. 1449, the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2013 (CHIA) that he recently introduced in the House:

“Unlike college and university owned housing, not-for-profit student housing entities are currently prohibited from using charitable contributions to build and maintain their facilities,” said Sessions. “That is why I have introduced the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act to eliminate this arbitrary distinction in our tax code and to make college more affordable for our nation’s students. CHIA will ensure that critical property improvements can be made to the affordable housing units that over 250,000 students call home during their college years.”

Nearly 100 student leaders from approximately 70 colleges and universities – including Baylor, Texas A&M, and the University of Texas – met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week to express their support for CHIA. In addition to college affordability issues, students articulated the need for life-safety upgrades, such as fire sprinklers, to not-for-profit housing in order to ensure a safer living environment for current and future residents.

“I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to join me in supporting this bipartisan, cost-effective solution to help make college more affordable, reduce long-term student loan debt, create small business jobs nationwide and improve campus safety,” concluded Sessions.